Free TV has called for a serious rethink of the findings of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee’s inquiry into new laws to keep sport free on TV and make sure local local TV services are easy to find.
Responding to the Committee’s report, Free TV CEO Bridget Fair, said that overall the committee recommendations represent a major missed opportunity to ensure that all Australians can benefit from free local TV services into the future.
"While we welcome the committee’s recommendation to reduce the implementation period for the new prominence framework from 18 to 12 months, the report misses the mark by not applying the new requirements to existing sets in the market," she said.
"Every person with a connected TV sees the look and feel of their existing set updated on a regular basis. The changes required to implement the new prominence rules are no different.
"Unless we incorporate existing sets in the prominence framework, only those who buy a new TV will see any change, and people who can’t afford to upgrade their sets will miss out, even though their connected TV sets can be, and regularly are, updated over the internet."
The Committee’s recently released recommendations on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-siphoning) Bill 2023 (Provisions) relate to introducing a prominence framework to support the availability of free-to-air television services on internet connected television devices, and expand the application of the anti-siphoning scheme to online media.
Fair said that the Committee also missed the mark on ensuring sport remains free for all Australians too, as the increasing number of Australians who watch their free sport on TV using the internet, because they have no aerial, will miss out unless the new laws are amended to stop paid streaming services buying up exclusive digital rights and putting sports behind a paywall.
“We’re running a real risk that in the not too distant future, if you want to watch your favourite sports, you will need to pay multiple streaming services to do so. Knowing that every Australian can freely access the big footy finals or gather around the TV for the Boxing Day cricket will be a thing of the past," she said.
"As the proportion of households watching TV online grows to half by 2027, the anti-siphoning list will be fundamentally undermined if it does not apply to digital rights.
“Bidding for sport will become commercially unviable if free-to-air broadcasters can only acquire a narrow range of terrestrial rights, leaving paid services to acquire exclusive digital coverage. This is exactly the nightmare scenario the government is trying to avoid with this bill – so it must be amended to reflect modern viewing habits."
Seven West Media also expressed disappointment with the committee’s recommendations with CEO James Warburton saying the recommendations totally misunderstand the needs of the Australian viewing public in 2024 and beyond.
"The recommendations are doing the Australian viewing public a disservice," he said.
“The Senate committee has released a report that does not see merit in ensuring free sport for all Australians, particularly those who don’t have an aerial.
“As the minister considers the report, Seven strongly urges the government to ensure that the anti-siphoning scheme includes the free digital simulcast of the broadcast stream and that Australians see the benefits of the Prominence Framework sooner."
The broadcaster's statement echoed Free TV's, saying that while the network appreciates the report reducing the introduction of the Prominence Framework from 18 to 12 months, for it to be effective over the coming years it needs to apply to TV screens already in the home.
“Seven welcomes the input of the Greens through Senator Hanson Young who see the merit in a shorter introduction for prominence, reducing it from 18 months to six months and including the digital simulcast in the anti-siphoning framework,” Warburton said.
President of Network 10, Beverley McGarvey, said the Senate committee recommendations do not provide equitable access for all Australians to free and local broadcasters and fails to meet contemporary audience needs.
“Delaying prominence rules for a year and limiting it to just new devices, means only those who can afford a new TV will be able to easily access local free-to-air broadcasters," she said.
“The majority of Australians with existing devices, will be denied the same access to free TV that’s vital to connecting our communities, keeping us safe in emergencies, reflecting our unique identity and giving everyone a front row seat to iconic sporting and cultural events.
“Also, live stream and BVOD viewing, will very soon be the most popular way Australians watch their favourite sports, so leaving BVOD platforms out of changes to the anti-siphoning rules, doesn’t reflect contemporary audience needs.”
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